Life in Mission Hill: Justin Brogden

Justin Brogden, 31, has lived in Mission Hill for three and half years. He loves it. “You could be in [downtown] Boston within 20 minutes,” he said.

Brogden admitted that the biggest challenge facing the neighborhood is the affordability.

“It used to be an area that was pretty affordable. However, it is becoming less and less so. I think there is a lot of transition happening now and prices are going very high.”

Brogden, an attorney, never expected to live in Mission Hill for this long. The longer he stays, though, the more he sees the strengths and weakness of the area. After nearly four years, he has developed a sense of responsibility to care for the community.

He maintains a positive outlook for the future of Mission Hill, and he hopes that it stays affordable.

“The neighborhood seems fairly diverse. There are a lot of students, and that’s partly what I like about Mission Hill,” Brogden said. “But I think the risk of any place becoming too expensive is that you will have less and less diversity.”

Brogden didn’t hesitate when asked about his favorite neighborhood memory. “Walking my dog in the park. I love walking my dog. There are always other neighbors walking their dogs and kids playing around.”

The Scope’s student journalists spoke with community members in Mission Hill. #MissionHill100 is a collection of their stories. This story was submitted by Suhra Nahib.